Councillor Alan Shefman thinks the idea of a “dry pond” at Gallanough Park, a large park on the west side of Yonge Street near Clark Avenue West, is a great idea.
The bowl-like dip in the park would be a cost-effective way of keeping the raging waters at bay following a storm, says Shefman. Estimated to cost around $1 million, it is a cheaper alternative to the estimated $5 million underground draining system.
“The point of the pond is to hold the water back coming from the south moving north for about four hours after a major, major storm — a 100-year storm, like we had in 2005,” he said.
Following rainfall, any water gathered would then drain into the Don River.
During the infamous 2005 storm, major damage was caused to homes and public property in the Thornhill area.
“It’s our responsibility to lower the risk of our residents having their homes flooded,” said Shefman.
But the pond has caught some residents off guard and has caused some to worry about what impact it will have in terms of safety, particularly on children and dogs.
Nearby resident Philip Hayman attended a meeting earlier this summer to discuss the plans, thinking there would be multiple methods to discuss.
“If we could meet again, get more clarity, I’m OK with it,” he said. But hearing that the decision was final, he was surprised. “It caught a lot of people off guard. They thought there were still alternatives to be had. That disturbs some residents.”
Shefman says there is nothing to worry about. “The reality is, the pond will be 99.9 per cent dry all the time,” he said. “No matter what our engineers said, people refused to accept that.”
So Shefman has moved a motion at the upcoming September Vaughan City Council meeting to ask city staff to re-examine alteratives.
“In the spirit of being respectful and co-operative, I’m bringing this forward for further study. I just wish people would come to their positions based on the knowledge of what’s going to happen as opposed to perceptions about what’s going to happen.
